Personal injury solicitor in Bristol

Seen by many as both the gateway to the West Country and the last stop before Wales, the city of Bristol is one of the oldest settlements in the south of England. An important port for both exploration and trade, the modern city of Bristol is home to creative media, aerospace industry and a centre of heritage and culture.

Also home to two major universities, as well as a variety of sporting organisations and venues, Bristol is a popular place to live and work as well as to visit as a tourist. In 2015, half a million international visitors and 1.5 million domestic tourists arrived in Bristol to explore the history and culture of this vibrant southern city.

With so many people living in, visiting and working in Bristol, it’s understandable that the odd accident should occur. Busy roads, hectic work environments and crowded shopping malls can all create a certain level of risk, leading to unexpected incidents that can leave innocent victims injured.

If you’ve suffered an injury as the result of an accident that was not your fault, you may be searching for a personal injury solicitor in Bristol. Thankfully, you’ve already found the very best partner for your needs, as we at Accident Advice Helpline are here and on your side.

Road traffic accidents in Bristol

A busy city like Bristol is bound to have its fair share of accidents, and although much is being done to make the streets a safer place, there are still many car crash injuries every year. Each year, around 100 people are seriously injured or killed on Bristol roads, with many more suffering minor injuries and trauma.

One of the worst roundabouts for road traffic accidents in Bristol is the St James Barton roundabout, described as some as a ‘giant meat grinder’. Also known as the Bear Pit, the roundabout has been identified as being particularly dangerous to cyclists, with over 20 accidents per year involving bikes. Other bad junctions for both drivers and cyclists include the Clarence Road roundabout, the junction of Whiteladies Road and Cotham Hill, and the Old Market Roundabout.

Elsewhere in the city, congestion is one of the main bug bears for local drivers. A study by Inrix found that typical Bristolian motorists spend around 27 hours per year sitting in stationary traffic, making Bristol the 10th worst city in the UK for jams. The problem is becoming so bad that the Mayor of Bristol has set up a ‘congestion task force’, to identify hot spots and come up with a plan to ease the traffic burden.

Outside of the city centre, the M4/M5 junction interchange was named as one of the top 10 scariest road junctions in the UK. If you’ve ever passed through this section of road, you’ll already know how confusing it is, and how easy it can be to end up going the wrong way. The deadly combination of high speeds, confusing road layout and drivers desperately trying not to miss their junction mean this is a terrible accident blackspot, seeing numerous serious and even fatal car accidents every year.

With so much congestion, dangerous junctions and frustrating traffic jams, it’s hardly surprising that so many accidents occur each year. Worryingly, the highest proportion of those killed or seriously injured on Bristol roads are pedestrians, with motorcyclists and cyclists following not far behind.

If you’ve been hurt in a road traffic accident in Bristol, whether as a driver, passenger, cyclists or pedestrian, and it wasn’t your fault, don’t suffer in silence. Rather than search for a personal injury solicitor in Bristol, why not work with Accident Advice Helpline, the UK’s leading personal injury claims law firm, and a top choice to represent you in your compensation claim.

Whiplash accident in Bristol

Not all road traffic accidents in Bristol end in someone being killed or seriously injured. Far more are simple low speed shunts, caused by high levels of congestion and momentary lapses in concentration. Even at a low speed, injuries can still occur, with research finding whiplash is possible even at speeds of as little as five miles per hour.

Whiplash describes a type of neck strain that can vary from something relatively minor to something really quite incapacitating. It occurs when the head is rapidly snapped in any direction, causing tearing or straining of the soft tissues in the neck and shoulders. As we all tend to use seatbelts today, all the impact from a collision is transferred into the only free part of our body – the head – which is why we’re seeing a rise in claims for whiplash accidents in Bristol.

Around 89 per cent of the accident claims we handle at Accident Advice Helpline relate to whiplash. This is purely a product of our society, and is caused by the additional protections afforded by our seatbelts and the design of modern cars. At least a third of whiplash victims never seek to make a claim, which is a shame as many go on to be affected by their injuries for the rest of their lives.

Whiplash can also be caused by falling, by being hit on the head and by any activity that causes a rapid and unexpected movement of the head. If you’ve had a whiplash diagnosis and someone else was at fault, our experience whiplash accident solicitors for Bristol residents are here to help you claim.

Slips, trips and falls in Bristol

By far the most common cause of accidental injury in Bristol is due to slips, trips and falls. These types of accidents can happen anywhere, at any time, and can be laugh-it-off silly, or deadly serious. outside of the slapstick comedy of someone falling over, the reality is far grimmer, with fallers regularly experiencing broken bones or head and back injuries, and at least two people per year dying in the UK as a result of a fall.

Even minor slips can result in a traumatic injury. Sometimes we have only ourselves to blame, but if someone else was in the wrong, it’s only right that we should seek to be compensated for our pain and discomfort. Situations where someone could have prevented our trip or fall by being more conscientious include:

Slipping on a wet floor because there was no warning sign

Tripping in a public place because someone left an obstacle in our path

Falling down an unguarded hole or stairway

Slipping on a spillage that hasn’t been mopped up

Falling off a high place because no guard rail was erected

Tripping over cables that haven’t been adequately protected

Even something as simple as a broken paving slab could cause a disastrous trip or fall, and if it’s in a public place, you have a right to make a claim. Talk to our specialist advisors for slips, trips and falls in Bristol today, and they’ll let you know if you have a case to claim.

Work accident Bristol

Bristol’s main economy relies on public sector jobs, with over 27 per cent of the population employed in this industry. Other major sectors include business and financial, wholesale and retail as well as manufacturing. Transport and construction play a major role too, with around 15 per cent of the working population holding jobs in these sectors.

In a recent survey, Bristol was found to be the 10th worst city in the UK for accidents at work. While this is good news compared to more accident-prone locations like Liverpool and Glasgow, employees are still at risk of work accidents in Bristol occurring. HSE sites construction, public services and transport as some of the most common industries for accidents and workplace illness, meaning the 42 per cent of employees working in these sectors at a high risk of an injury on the job.

Your employer has a duty to protect you, and to provide a safe working environment for you and your colleagues. This means not only supplying PPE equipment where necessary, but also the appropriate training, well maintained machinery and colleague support to allow you to do your job safely. Bristol City Council provides plenty of hands on advice and support for both employers and employees in regard to workplace health and safety.

If you’ve been injured or suffered a sickness at work and you feel your employer could have done more to protect you, you are entitled to claim compensation. Our specialist work accident Bristol solicitors are ready to help you take the steps required. Not only will you ensure you have a valuable financial reserve to get you through your recovery period, you will also make sure your employer is held to account, and that they make changes to protect future employees from the same fate.

We are your personal injury solicitor in Bristol

Look no further for the support you need. Our team are among the most experienced, most successful and most approachable solicitors in the business, giving you the very best chance of securing the maximum compensation for your injuries. Whether you’re dealing with a minor condition or a major, life changing accident, we’re here to help.

All our claims are operated on a no-win, no-fee* basis, so you can be sure you’ll have access to the best legal representation possible, no matter what your financial situation. Call our team today on 0800 6890500 or from a mobile call 0333 500 0993, and we’ll start working on your behalf to win you the compensation you deserve.